Xerochrysum plant named ‘Bonxe 1651’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Xerochrysum  plant named ‘Bonxe 1651’, characterized by its upright, mounding and uniform in plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; relatively large inflorescences with yellow and orange bi-colored involucral bracts; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Xerochrysum bracteatum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONXE 1651’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Xerochrysum plant, botanically known as Xerochrysum bracteatum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonxe 1651’.

The new Xerochrysum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create and develop new Xerochrysum cultivars with upright and uniformly mounded plant habit, freely flowering habit and large attractive inflorescences.

The new Xerochrysum plant originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventors in August, 2015 of a proprietary selection of Xerochrysum bracteatum identified as code number 14-42, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Xerochrysum bracteatum identified as code number 14-76, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Xerochrysum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia on Aug. 1, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Xerochrysum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since August, 2016, has shown that the unique features of this new Xerochrysum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Xerochrysum have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonxe 1651’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonxe 1651’ as a new and distinct Xerochrysum plant:

-   -   1. Upright, mounding and uniform plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Relatively large inflorescences with yellow and orange         bi-colored involucral bracts.     -   5. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the         foliar plane.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Xerochrysum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the involucral bract color as involucral bracts of plants of the new Xerochrysum are yellow and orange bi-colored whereas involucral bracts of plants of the female parent selection are white in color.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Xerochrysum differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the involucral bract color as involucral bracts of plants of the new Xerochrysum are yellow and orange bi-colored whereas involucral bracts of plants of the male parent selection are red in color.

Plants of the new Xerochrysum can be compared to plants of the Bracteantha bracteata ‘Bonxero 148’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,398. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Xerochrysum differ primarily from plants of ‘Bonxero 148’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Xerochrysum are taller and broader than         plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.     -   2. Plants of the new Xerochrysum have lighter green-colored         leaves than plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.     -   3. Plants of the new Xerochrysum are not as freely flowering as         plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Xerochrysum have more         involucral bracts than inflorescences of plants of ‘Bonxero         148’.     -   5. Involucral bracts of plants of the new Xerochrysum are yellow         and orange bi-colored whereas involucral bracts of plants of         ‘Bonxero 148’ are bright yellow in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Xerochrysum plant. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Xerochrysum plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonxe 1651’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 ) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonxe 1651’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the early summer in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Xerochrysum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23 C and night averaged 13 C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were four months old when the photographs were taken and five months old when the detailed description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Xerochrysum bracteatum ‘Bonxe 1651’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Xerochrysum bracteatum identified as code number 14-42, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Xerochrysum bracteatum identified as code number 14-76, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at             temperatures about 18 C to 21 C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at             temperatures about 18 C to 21 C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About three weeks             at temperatures about 18 C to 21 C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About four weeks             at temperatures about 18 C to 21 C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual             color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,             water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright, mounding and uniform             plant habit with inflorescences held above the foliage on             strong peduncles; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 38 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 42 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit             with about eight lateral branches per plant; pinching             enhances lateral branch development. Length: About 17.6 cm.             Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length: About 1.9 cm.             Aspect: Mostly upright to somewhat outwardly. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Smooth glabrous or sparsely pubescent.             Color: Close to 138A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement and quantity: Alternate,             simple; sessile; about 13 leaves per lateral branch. Length:             About 9.5 cm. Width: About 1.8 cm. Shape: Linear. Apex:             Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; not undulate to             slightly undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Rough,             sparsely pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate.             Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A; venation,             close to 148B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137B; venation, close to 138B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Terminal double-type inflorescence form with             narrowly deltoid to lanceolate involucral bracts; involucral             bracts and disc florets developing acropetally on a             capitulum; inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane             on strong peduncles; inflorescences face mostly upright.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit; typically about 29             inflorescences per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—In Japan, plants begin to flower about 21             weeks after planting and in the garden, plants flower             continuously from the spring through the autumn.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about seven to ten days on the plant;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About             1.5 cm. Shape: Ovoid with acute apex. Color: Distally, close             to 63A and proximally, close to 158B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 3.2 cm. Disc diameter: About 2.9 cm. Disc height:             About 1.4 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Diameter: About 3.1 cm. Height: About 7.7 mm.             Color: Close to 149D.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence and             arrangement: About 435 arranged in numerous whorls; bracts             imbricate. Length: About 1.9 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape:             Narrowly deltoid to lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; papery. Orientation: Initially upright             becoming horizontal with development. Color: When opening             and fully opened, upper surface: Proximally, close to 13A,             and proximally, close to N25A. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Proximally, close to 14B, and             proximally, close to 28B.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement:             Numerous disc florets are spirally arranged in the center of             the receptacle. Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter, distally:             About 1.8 mm. Diameter, proximally: About 1 mm. Shape:             Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed. Texture, inner and             outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When developing,             inner and outer surfaces: Close to 16B. Fully developed,             inner and outer surfaces: Towards the apex, close to 24A and             25A; mid-section, close to 145B; towards the base, close to             4D. Pappus: Close to NN155B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 4.4 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright to somewhat             outwardly. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:             About five. Filament length: About 2.5 mm. Filament color:             Close to 183D and 157D. Anther size: About 1 mm by 2 mm.             Anther shape: Linear. Anther color: Close to 17B. Pollen             amount: None observed. Gynoecium: Quantity per disc floret:             One. Pistil length: About 6.7 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted.             Stigma color: Close to 17A. Style color: Close to 17A;             towards the base, close to 157D. Seeds and fruits: To date,             seed and fruit production has not been observed on plants of             the new Xerochrysum. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Xerochrysum     have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Xerochrysum plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Xerochrysum have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0 C to about 35     C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Xerochrysum plant named ‘Bonxe 1651’ as illustrated and described. 